Injectable Fillers
What is it?For who?
The surgery
The risks
The costs
Our faces begin to show the effects of gravity, sun exposure and years of facial muscle movement as we age. The underlying tissues that keep our skin looking youthful begin to break down, leaving laugh lines, smile lines, crow's feet or facial creases over the areas where this muscle movement occurs.
Soft-tissue fillers can help fill in these lines and creases, restoring a smoother, more youthful-looking appearance. These fillers fill up creased and sunken areas of the face and can add fulness to lips and cheeks. Injectable fillers may be used alone or in conjunction with a resurfacing procedure.
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Injected collagen and fat are primarily used to improve the appearance of the skin's texture. They can help fill out deep facial wrinkles, creases and furrows, "sunken" cheeks, skin depressions and some types of scars. They can also be used to add a fuller, more sensuous look to the lips.
Injectable fillers can smooth lines and creases, but are usually not sufficient for severe surface wrinkles on the face, such as multiple vertical "lipstick lines" that sometimes form around the mouth. Instead, a resurfacing technique, such as chemical peel, dermabrasion or laser treatment may be more appropriate. Rather than filling in facial lines, resurfacing methods strip away the outer layers of the skin to produce a smoother appearance.
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The most commonly used types of injectable fillers are collagen and fat. However, to a lesser extent, a number of other filler materials are also being used for facial-rejuvenation purposes. They include: Fibril, a gelatin powder compound that's mixed with a patient's own blood and is injected to plump up the skin (similar to injectable collagen); and Gortex, a thread-like material that is implanted beneath the skin to add soft-tissue support.
The most important fact to remember is that the results are not permanent. In some individuals the results may last only a few weeks, in others the results may maintain indefinitely. Some individuals' bodies are more receptive to one substance than the other, others may find that neither substance produces long-lasting results.
Collagen injections are generally off limits for pregnant women, individuals who are allergic to beef or bovine products, patients who suffer from autoimmune diseases, and those who are allergic to lidocaine
In the initial consultation the surgeon will evaluate the face and discuss the patient's goals and expectations. Injectables are usually administered on an outpatient basis. If, however the patient is being hospitalized for a facelift, necklift, browlift or other procedure, the injections can be administered in the hospital as well.
With collagen injectables no additional anesthetic is used as the anesthetic agent lidocaine is mixed in with the collagen. Sometimes the doctor will use a topical cream anesthetic or a freon spray.
When the patient is having fat injectables, both the donor and recipient sites are numbed with local anesthesia. Sedation can be used as well, but in that case the patient should arrange for a ride home.
Collagen is a naturally occurring protein that provides support to various parts of the human body: the skin, the joints, the bones and the ligaments. Injectable collagen, patented by the Collagen Corporation under the trade names Zyderm and Zyplast, is derived from purified bovine collagen. The purification process creates a product similar to human collagen. Injectable collagen received approval from the Food and Drug Administration in 1981. It is produced in various thicknesses to meet individual patient needs.
Collagen is used primarily to fill wrinkles, lines and scars on the face and sometimes the neck, back and chest. Treatment with collagen can begin after a skin test determines that the patient is not allergic to the subsstance. The collagen is injected using a fine needle inserted at several points along the edge of the treatment site.
Occasionally some bruising or swelling will occur after treatment, but it is usually minor. Any redness that appears in the injected site usually disappears within 24 hours. However, in some individuals, particularly fair-skinned patients, this redness may persist for a week or more. Tiny scabs may also form over the needle-stick areas; these generally heal quickly.
Fat injections involve extracting fat cells from the patient's abdomen, thighs, buttocks or elsewhere and reinjecting them beneath the facial skin. Fat is most often used to fill in "sunken" cheeks or laugh lines between the nose and mouth, to correct skin depressions or indentations, to minimize forehead wrinkles and to enhance the lips.
After both the donor and recipient sites are cleansed and treated with a local anesthesia, the fat is withdrawn using a syringe with a large-bore needle or a cannula (the same instrument used in liposuction) attached to a suction device. The fat is then prepared and injected into the recipient site with a needle. Sometimes an adhesive bandage is applied over the injection site.
The patient can expect some swelling, bruising or redness in both the donor and recipient sites. The severity of these symptoms depends upon the size and location of the treated area. The patient should stay out of the sun until the redness and bruising subsides, usually about 48 hours. The swelling and puffiness in the recipient site may last several weeks, especially if a large area was filled.
With fat injections as well as with collagen injection, overfilling is necessary to allow for fat or salt absorption in the weeks following treatment.
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Complications are infrequent and usually minor. Still, the outcome of treatment with injectables is never completely predictable.
As allergic reaction is the primary risk of collagen, the surgeon will perform an allergy test about a month before the procedure. Other risks include infection, abscesses, open sores, skin peeling, scarring and lumpiness, but these complications are very rare.
Fat injections cannot cause an allergic reaction but there still is a small risk of infection and other infrequent complications.
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Insurance usually doesn't cover cosmetic procedures. However, if your injectable treatment is being performed to treat a scar or indentation from an accident or injury, you may be reimbursed for a portion of the cost. Check with your insurance carrier to be sure. The costs associated with injectabled vary from procedure to procedure. To obtain the most accurate pricing, consult with a physician in your area to get the up to date costs for the procedure you are interested in.
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Botox Injections , Breast Augmentation , Breast Lift , Breast Reduction , Cheek Surgery , Chemical Peel , Chin Surgery , Dermabrasion , Ear Surgery , Eyelid Surgery , Facelift , Forehead Lift or Brow Lift , Hair Replacement , Injectable Fillers , Laser Hair Removal , Laser Skin Resurfacing , Lip Augmentation , Liposuction , Microdermabrasion , Nose Surgery , Penis Enlargement , Permanent Eyeliner , Spider Veins , Thigh Lift , Tummy Tuck , Upper Arm Lift ,back to top
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